Geoff Molson Sends Clear Message to Media

Last season was difficult on everyone around the Montreal Canadiens. Whether it be the fans, the media, players, coaches, managers… and even on the owner. Everyone was justified to be disappointed, even frustrated with the way things went after league MVP Carey Price succumbed to what turned out to be a season ending injury.

The disgruntled only grew when Marc Bergevin and his team decided to cut ties with crowd pleaser P.K. Subban, even if all signs pointed towards the defenseman not being unanimous amongst his peers. It was a bold move, perhaps the boldest by a Habs’ GM since Pierre Gauthier then traded fan-favourite Jaroslav Halak and kept Carey Price instead. We all know how this story panned out.

However, many of my followers on Twitter are in agreement that some media, particularly those working in English, have increasingly upped the ante in what appears to have become a vendetta against current management, from coach Michel Therrien, to Bergevin and even cracks sent at the owner Geoff Molson for supporting the other two. Oh there’s nothing wrong about being critical, but there’s a line that was respected in the past that seems to have gone missing, or ignored by some of the members of the media around Montreal and that’s a shame.

As we’ve touched in a recent article, some media members are becoming fans instead of reporters, or so it seems. Their attacks come across as more personal and fans are left wondering if they’re watching a soap opera or reading about their favourite team. Les MisérHabs, I called them, feed on the fans’ ignorance of how a NHL team is being run and the realities faced by those involved. Those members of the media ignore (purposely I’m hoping otherwise it would make them just as ignorant) this reality for one reason: gaining popularity with a large group of fans active on social media.

You see, Twitter has now become the new radio talk shows where you phoned in to say whatever you wanted. I remember listening to some of the callers on those shows wondering about the level of education and even the intellect of those offering their thoughts. Twitter is the same, times 1,000 as they don’t need to get a phone line to speak up. They say what they want, when they want, however they want. Most times though, you will see that the most aggressive only go by a username without displaying their real name, which would bring them some accountability, getting laughed at at school, at work.

But I’m veering off here. This past week, here’s what Stu Cowan, from The Gazette, published on his Twitter account during an exhibition game at the Bell Centre:

I've never seen this many empty seats at the Bell Centre for a #Habs preseason game #HabsIO. Looks a little more than half-full at puck drop

At puck drop! Yes, every NHL rink announces the attendance… in the 3rd period! Remember folks, it’s an exhibition game. So let me ask you this: why would it be important to “report” that the rink isn’t full at puck drop? Why trying to make that point if not in a (lame) attempt at taking a shot at the organisation, hoping that the fans are sending a message?

Team President and owner Geoff Molson, who doesn’t get involved in discussions on Twitter, surprised many by posting this in reply to Cowan’s tweet:

@StuCowan1 why do you write these things? Did you see the crowd once the game started…very disappointing and misleading.

Notice that Molson says “these things”? That’s likely because Cowan has been one of the most critical (and at times personal) in his comments towards the organisation, repeatedly “reporting” the glass half-empty side of each story.

It was misleading. Had Cowan just waited in the second or third period to report on the crowd size, Molson likely wouldn’t have replied. He focused on puck drop because it suited his agenda, to try to get his point across, or at least his hope that fans would prove his point.

I like to play devils’ advocate as much if not more than anyone but there is simply no defending what some of those media members are doing. Their job is to report and let the fans decide for themselves on what they want to believe. You see, reporters are slowly becoming bloggers, but they use their media outlets to push their own personal views on the fan base. They cater to those who share their point of view, taking reassurance that they must be right if others agree.

What Geoff Molson did here is very subtle, but the message to the media is loud and clear. Something tells me that if they ignore this warning, you’ll see some drastic changes in the way the Montreal Canadiens are interacting with (some) media. And I, for one, will applaud the initiative.

3 thoughts on “Geoff Molson Sends Clear Message to Media”

I, for one, commend @StuCowan1, for his “objective reporting.He clearly states; ” I’ve never seen this many empty seats at the Bell Centre for a #Habs preseason game..”, denoting that his observation was in COMPARISON to previous similar events (in this case: PRESEASON games).Trust me, when I say that not only his “observation” right, but can be further substantiated by facts($)…
Hopefully you, @Habsterix are willing to do your own personal #survey among the aforementioned people and post the results here: thereby proving @StuCowam1 observations. (You would be doing your part in reporting the truth). If you can’t post those findings here, just ask @GMolsonCHC for a “handout” ;lately he seems not to care about his financial losses both for his @CanadiensMTL and his concessions (not to mention his blatand #disregard for #Montreal fans & #Montreal small business owners).